Good morning. Today is Thursday, October 8th!

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:16

Jesus once described death in a way that confused His own disciples.

His friend Lazarus was very sick. Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus, but Jesus stayed where He was for two more days. Then He told His disciples they were going back to Judea.

By then, Lazarus had died.

But listen to how Jesus described it:

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” — John 11:11

The disciples took Him literally. Lazarus had been sick, so if he was now sleeping, they thought that sounded like good news.

“Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”

But Lazarus wasn’t sleeping.

He was dead.

Scripture makes that clear: “Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.”

So Jesus tells them plainly:

“Lazarus is dead.”

Jesus knew Lazarus was dead. He was describing his death as sleep and what He was about to do as waking him up.

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Jesus went to the tomb and called, “Lazarus, come out!”

Lazarus came out alive.

And this wasn’t the only time Jesus described death this way.

When Jairus’s daughter died, Jairus was told, “Your daughter is dead.” Yet when Jesus arrived, He said, “The child is not dead but asleep.”

Then Jesus took her by the hand and told her to get up.

She got up.

Later, Paul uses the same language when talking about Christians who have died. He calls them “those who sleep in death.”

Paul is writing to Christians grieving them, but tells them they don’t have to grieve “like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”

Why?

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:14

And when Jesus returns:

“The dead in Christ will rise.”

That’s where the picture reaches us.

Death can be terrifying because of how final it seems. When someone dies, we can’t wake them up. We can’t bring them back or defeat death ourselves.

But Jesus can.

He raised Lazarus. He raised Jairus’s daughter. Jesus Himself died and rose again. And Scripture says those who die in Christ will also rise.

Unless Jesus returns first, we will die too. But Christians don’t have to fear death as though it is the permanent end.

Jesus gave us a different picture:

Sleep.

And that brings us right back to Lazarus.

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

If we die in Christ, death will not be permanent either.

Jesus will wake us up.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: Lord, You have power over life and death.

Confession: Forgive us when fear overcomes our faith.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for the hope of resurrection through Jesus.

Supplication: Help us trust You, even in the face of death.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

“Living Hope” by Phil Wickham

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See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God